South African National Parks (SANParks) said it was appointing an independent ‘service provider’ to conduct a preliminary investigation of the ‘unfortunate incident where a cyclist suffered a broken arm during an arrest by SANParks Rangers’.
The victim was professional cyclist Nicholas Dlamini.
The incident, a video of which went viral, happened at the Silvermine Section of the Table Mountain National Park on 27 December.
SANParks Acting CEO Lize McCourt said the five Rangers involved in the incident had been placed on ‘precautionary suspension pending the finalisation of the investigation’.
SANParks said in a statement: ‘McCourt expressed regret at the turn of events and assured the public that the organisation is taking the matter seriously… “and will afford Mr Dlamini and his family all the necessary support at this stage”.’
[Picture: Nthep, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=78781991]